Faculty
Tamra W. Adams, Director
Tamra Adams founded Adams International School in 2009. She holds an undergraduate degree in Early Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Education. Prior to founding AIS, she taught public school in rural North Carolina, and later homeschooled a number of her 12 children. Five of the Adams children have graduated from or currently attend Virginia Governor Schools.
Based on her years of experience, Tamra is committed to individual interest-based learning fueled by the child's natural curiosity and desire to "do." She believes that genuine education teaches children how to think, not what to think. These are the founding principles of Adams International School.
Chris Cappiello, Teacher/Guide
Before joining the faculty of AIS, Chris Cappiello spent 14 years at Richmond Montessori School, where he was Primary Lead Teacher and Teacher of Physical Education and Health. There he worked with students from ages 3-13 and created the school's PE and Health program. Chris also organized and guided a number of extracurricular activities including sport skill camps, international games, and video clubs. Prior to his tenure at RMS, he spent 13 years at Williamsburg Montessori School in the Primary classroom as intern, co-teacher, and lead teacher. Chris' interests include tennis and music, James River exploring, bird listening and watching, and plant identification.
Chris earned Montessori teaching certification from American Montessori Society in 1983 and a BA in English at Lynchburg College in 1978.Elizabeth Hale, Children's House Teacher
After graduating from Washington and Lee University with a BA in Russian Studies, Elizabeth Hale completed her Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) training in Washington, DC for children ages 3 - 6. She taught in a children’s house for six years in Portland, Oregon where she cultivated a dedicated group of families who helped establish a most beautiful outdoor extension to the Ivy Room where the children could work outside in any weather. She and her husband moved to Bergamo, Italy for one year where they took the AMI Advanced Montessori Course for children 6-12 years old. As houseparents and faculty at the Hershey Montessori Farm School, Huntsburg, Ohio, a boarding school for adolescents 12-15 years old, Elizabeth gained an appreciation for “Pedagogy of Place”.
With the birth of her daughter, Maezie, Elizabeth worked with an AMI 0-3 trained colleague to offer parent-child and parent-infant classes in her home. Joining with the staff of the Adams International School in service to children and their families feels like the opportunity to manifest years of accumulated impressions, ideas, and inspirations!
Robert S. MacKinnon, Elementary Teacher
An artist by training, Robert S. MacKinnon worked for four years in Portland, Oregon making furniture while volunteering as a visiting artist at local Montessori children’s house programs. He and his wife, Elizabeth, worked for two years at Hershey Montessori Farm School as houseparents and faculty. Prior to joining the staff at Adams International School as the full-cycle elementary teacher, Robert spent the last seven years teaching in Montessori elementary and adolescent programs.
Robert holds a B.A in Studio Art from Washington & Lee University and an M.Ed. in Special Education from Portland State University. He received his AMI Montessori Elementary diploma from the International Centre for Montessori Studies Foundation in Bergamo, Italy. In 2007, he received a certificate in Montessori Administration at the National Montessori Leadership Institute in conjunction with the National Association of Independent Schools.
Alicia Romeo Grebe, Classical Harp & Piano Intructor
Alicia Romeo Grebe performs as a symphony musician, chamber musician and recitalist. She currently performs as harpist with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. Through a grant with the Virginia Commission for the Arts, she has toured not only the rural communities of Virginia but performed in great concert halls such as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the American Consulate in Florence, Italy and Carnegie Hall.
Alicia earned both her bachelor and master’s degrees with high honors from Indiana University where she studied with Susann McDonald.
A fervent advocate of musical education, Alicia served as instructor of harp at The College of William and Mary and at Virginia Commonwealth University. She also has taught private harp and piano students of all ages for more than 15 years.
An avid lover of the outdoors, Alicia was thrilled to have spent summers in both the American and Canadian Rockies at the summer music festivals of Aspen and Banff where she was able to combine her loves of both music and the outdoors.
Alicia and her husband live in Goochland where they are raising two young children.
Lynn Irwin, Goochland Cotillion Resource Teacher
Having developed a love for social dancing more then eight years ago, Goochland resident Lynn Irwin has pursued her passion through lessons at two major dance studios in the Richmond area and expanded her knowledge and skills in venues in Fredericksburg, Maryland and New York.
She is the proud owner of The Dance Space, a ballroom studio located in Henrico County. Recently, she gladly volunteered to instruct two seasons of ballroom lessons in swing, rumba, cha cha, waltz and foxtrot to capacity classes at the Goochland YMCA. Her most recent venture is Goochland Cotillion, in partnership with Margaret Reynolds and Doug and Tamra Adams, which offers ballroom dancing and etiquette lessons to children. Goochland Cotillion is held at the Adams International School.
Elizabeth Diaz Krash, Children’s and Adult Ballet Resource Teacher
Elizabeth Diaz Krash began dancing at the age of 10 with Lily Tcherkassky in Maryland. She then trained at The Academy of the Washington Ballet under the direction of Mary Day on a full scholarship. After graduation she continued her training at The American Ballet Theatre School in New York, on a full scholarship. She has also studied with David Howard, Maggie Black and Finis Jhung.
Elizabeth went on to dance professionally for 12 years. She has been teaching for 25 years, however, it was shortly after the birth of her first son that her teaching career really began. She teaches all levels of ballet -- from preschool to professional -- and immensely enjoys her students. Elizabeth lives in Richmond with her husband, Ethan, and sons Eric and Eli.